1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hair care products and, more particularly, to a comb with internal conduits for delivering water and dispensing hair care products from the tips of the comb.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal hair styles are as unique as one's personality. In the world of hair styling, there are literally thousands of styles from which to choose. While the styles are many, most stylists and beauticians agree that proper grooming and maintenance of one's hair is just as important as styling hair. As a result, most people undergo a regimen of washing and rinsing their hair, applying conditioners and treatments that maintain not only the hair but the scalp as well. After properly shampooing, rinsing and conditioning the hair, it is dried and combed in order to maintain it in a tangle-free condition, ready for styling. While this process is necessary in maintaining one's hair style, it also can become a burden. Accordingly, there is a constant need for new and innovative products that will serve to aid and enhance the process of maintaining ones hair. The development of the Water Comb fulfills this need.
The Water Comb is a device that serves to combine several of the steps required in the hair grooming process. Consisting of an otherwise conventional comb structure, the device includes a system of internal water delivery conduits that dispense water from the tips of the comb teeth. The water is delivered to the comb via a hose that includes a variety of interchangeable attachment devices for connecting to a shower head or bathtub spigot. Arranged in-line with the hose is a reservoir that meters in shampoo or conditioner as the water passes therethrough. During use, the user simply passes the comb through their hair as they would normally do when using a conventional comb or brush. The comb applies the shampoo/conditioner while massaging the scalp and combing the hair, washing, rinsing and grooming the hair and thus performing the required tasks simultaneously in a quick and convenient fashion. As a result, use of the Water Comb allows one to follow proper hair care practices, free of the burdens associated with traditional methods.
In the related art, there exists many patents for similar hollow core to comb/product dispensers with internal conduits that deliver hair care products such as dyes, perfume, water, treatment solutions and the like to the hair. These products generally have a reservoir for holding the dispensed product or are connected to a conventional container holding the product. However, none of these patents disclose connecting a water source via a flexible hose to the comb in addition to being able to dispense a hair care product. U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,557, issued on Aug. 28, 1973 to Moore discloses a hollow comb having conduits for delivering fluids to the scalp. The comb has a threaded aperture for receiving the threaded necks of fluid containers such as shampoo bottles and the like, or, selectively, the threaded coupling end of a flexible hose. The present invention is distinct from this invention in that the Moore invention is not designed to deliver both a hair care product and water to the scalp simultaneously. The present invention is specifically designed to receive a water source and dispense a hair care product to the scalp at the same time.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related:
U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Issue Date 5,803,093 Romano September 8, 1998 5,483,979 Bertieri Jan. 16, 1996 3,754,557 Moore August 28, 1973 5,365,880 South November 22, 1994 5,289,835 Harlan et al. March 1, 1994 5,725,130 Kluge et al. March 10,1998 5,339,839 Forcelledo et al. Aug. 23, 1994 5,311,887 Ramsey May 17, 1994 5,056,480 Murray, Sr. Oct. 15, 1991 3,147,757 Hofmann Not Available 1,667,631 Mach April 28, 1928 841,175 Phinney Not Available